徐復觀先生在近四十年前所寫〈環繞李義山錦瑟詩的諸問題〉之文，雖是探討〈錦瑟詩〉，夜內容之論述，均環繞在李商隱與王茂元之關係，並認為李商隱仕途不順遂，均是王茂元從中作梗，並是娶了李黨王茂元之女後，受到牛黨令狐綯排擠的結果。所以，李商隱一生的不幸，是受到王家之攻訐構陷，並以予以污名化。 本論試就徐復觀純生所突的內容中，最主要的關鍵人物，如王茂元、令狐綯、王茂元之女。主要事物，如牛李黨爭，及李商隱與王女成婚前後時間之考證，在此做一澄清，並主李商隱與王茂元之關係良好，並無「翁婿不合」。 最後，有關徐復先生提出之〈九日〉詩、〈無題〉詩及〈臨發崇讓宅紫薇〉詩之繫年，及其為證明「翁婿不合」，而「以詩証事」之說法，本論除不表贊同外，亦提出另一思考方向。

Nearly forty years ago, Mr. Xu fuguan published his paper “exposition on Li Yishan’s Poem” ‘the brocade harp,’ which seems to offer a discussion of the poem in question, but virtually a major part of it deals with the relationship between Li Shangyin and his father-in-law, Wang Mayouan. Xu claims that the latter was the culprit of the former’s career frustrations. This is different from the common belief that Li’s marriage with one of Wang’s daughters led to the obstruction of Li Shangyin’s career advancement by Linghu Tao, a member of the opposing Niu faction. And he concludes that the Wang Families’ betrayal and stigmatization of Li gave rise to his miseries. This paper manages to make some further clarification of the key figures (Wang Maoyuan, Linghu Tao, Wang Maoyuan’s daughter) and the major events (the factional feud, the timeline prior the and after Li shanying’s marrying Wang’s daughter). Then the conclusion is drawn that in fact Li shares a positive relationship with his father-in-law. There is no such thing as “in-law trouble”. Finally, I come up with a disagreement with as well as a new perspective to Xu’s assembling evidence of the “in-law trouble” by citing the timeline of poems like “nine days,” “untitled,” and “behold crape myrtles upon leaving the home at Chongrang.”